The present invention relates generally to a method for generating electricity from a fusion reactor and more particularly to a method for direct conversion of alpha-particle energy into electricity in a stellarator reactor.
The guest to tap the energy of nuclear fusion by employing magnetic fields to confine an ultrahot plasma and generating electric power has been in progress for more than three decades.
Several toroidal magnetic confinement fusion devices have been proposed. One such device is the tokamak where a toroidal current induced inside the plasma both heats the plasma and provides the poloidal magnetic field. There are several drawbacks, however, associated with the tokamak. The large plasma current needed for confinement in a tokamak, carries a large free energy that can be tapped by instabilities which destroy the confinement. Another problem associated with the plasma current is that it must be maintained by some means other than a transformer, since otherwise the pulse length is limited by the number of volt-seconds in the transformer windings.
Another toroidal confinement machine is the stellarator, where the poloidal field is produced externally to the plasma by current-carrying conductors wound helically around the torus. This configuration does not require the large plasma current needed in a tokamak. Stellarators are capable of achieving betas several times greater than betas achievable in a tokamak. Stellarators are also capable of steady-state operation.
A major problem in the design of a commercial fusion stellarator reactor, as with other conventional power sources, is the conversion of the thermal energy produced into electrical energy.
Conventional designs call for the use of the thermal energy produced by fusion reactions to convert water to steam. The steam is used in a dynamic conversion processes to drive turbines and turbogenerators. This dynamic conversion process requires turbines, pumps, generators, large cooling systems and extensive piping systems. This auxiliary equipment is expensive, unreliable and relatively inefficient.
Direct energy conversion techniques for tokamaks have been suggested in Fusion Energy Conversion, by George H. Milley, published by the American Nuclear Society, 1976. The problems associated with tokamaks, however, have been discussed above.
Therefore, in view of the above, it is an object of the present invention to provide a novel cycle of operation for a stellarator fusion reactor.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel cycle of operation for a stellarator fusion reactor for directly converting fusion energy into electrical energy.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel cycle of operation of a stellarator fusion reactor which may be used in advanced neutron-beam fueled reactors.
Is is a further object of the present invention to provide a cycle of operating two stellarators in tandem, such that the cycle is self-sustaining.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a stellarator reactor capable of directly generating electricity.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a stellarator reactor system which is self-sustaining.
Additional objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention maybe realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.